BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County Sheriff John Kirk has issued a community appeal urging local residents to support the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Boys & Girls Ranch, which is approaching its 50th anniversary in 2025.
In a recent letter, Sheriff Kirk highlighted the ongoing commitment of Kentucky sheriffs to support youth facing challenging circumstances. He emphasized the importance of the Boys & Girls Ranch in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, a facility dedicated to providing children with a safe and positive environment where they can go for one week to build their self-esteem.
“Almost every day I witness devastating effects on innocent victims,” Sheriff Kirk stated, referencing the hardships many Kentucky children endure. “The ranch offers an essential weeklong respite, helping children build self-confidence through recreational, educational and social programs.”
Supported primarily by donations and fundraising efforts from local sheriff’s offices, the ranch serves children from diverse backgrounds across the state. Sheriff Kirk is encouraging community members to support the ranch through a modest donation of $25 per year—equivalent to just seven cents per day. This contribution grants donors honorary membership status, including a membership card, bumper sticker and a subscription to the ranch’s semiannual newsletter, “The Kentucky Sheriff.”
“Your donation will directly provide wholesome meals, sports, educational activities and other programs designed specifically to build confidence and self-esteem,” Kirk wrote. “We worry about who a child will be tomorrow, but we forget that he is someone today.”
The sheriff noted the long-term impact that small acts of support can have on the lives of young people, concluding: “A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was or the kind of car I drove, but this world may be a different place because I was important in the life of a child.”
Community members interested in contributing to this initiative are encouraged to clip/print and use the form at the end of this article or pick up a form at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office directly.
